Signal for vehicles.



E. H. ROBERTS.

SIGNAL FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED NOV. l1 ,1915.

1,250,661 Patented Dec. 18, 1917'.

2 SHEETSS\HEET 1.

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wocu loz 61 How m Q E. H. ROBERTS.

SIGNAL FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. II. 1915.

1,250,661. Patented Dec. 18,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET'2.

8141mm rot Q l-Momma EDWIN H. ROBERTS, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIG1\TOR TO JESSIE H. ROBERTS, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

SIGNAL FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

Application filed November 11, 1915. Serial No. 60,811.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, EDWIN H. Ronnn'rs, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signals for Vehicles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a signal for automobiles or other vehicles operable from the steering wheel of the later to indicate to anyone in front or approaching from the rear that the driver of the vehicle intends to turn to the left, and for this purpose I mount a casing upon the rear left-hand fender of the said vehicle, said casing having a night signal located therein and a day signal pivotally mounted on its top, both signals being visible from the front and rear, and means mounted upon the steering wheel for controlling both signals, said means being operable without removing either hand from the said wheel.

Having briefly outlined my improved construction, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof. In this drawing,-

Figure 1 is a rear View of a vehicle equipped with my improvement.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view in elevation of the signal mechanism and a diagrammatical view of the means for controlling the same.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the signal proper.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 44, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the blank from which the signal plate is formed.

Let the numeral 5 designate a casing open at the bottom, and whose depending sides 6 are bent outwardly at 7 and perforated to receive bolts 8 which also pass through registering perforations formed in the fender 9. Nuts 10 are applied to the free extremities of these bolts.

Secured to the top of the casing 5 by means of screws 12, is a bar 13 having its extremities bent upwardly at 14 parallel to each other, and perforated to loosely receive a pintle 15. A signal 16 composed of a plate preferably painted red upon both sides, is pivotally mounted upon said pintle and is adapted to normally lie fiat above the casing. The bottom of the signal 16 is offset inwardly at 17, recessed at 18, and cut at 19 and 20 to form four lips or projections, the two outer .lips 21 being shorter than the two inner ones, which are designated by the numeral 22. The 'lips 21 are bent around the pintle 15 so as to form a square in cross section (see Figs. 3 and 4), While the lips 22 are passed under the pintle and bent upwardly, their free extremities being bent around'and clenched upon a pin 23 which is loosely supported in the upper extremity of an actuating arm 24. This actuating arm extends downwardly through an opening in the top of the casing, and its lower extremity is pivotally connected within the latter at 25 with the bifurcated'extremity of an armature 26 whose opposite extremity is pivotally connected at 27 with a bracket 28 secured to one of the sides of the said casing.

A coil spring 29 surrounds the arm 24 within the casing, its upper extremity bearing'against the top of the latter and its lower extremity resting upon an annular shoulder formed upon the lower portion of the said arm 24.

Located in close proximity to the said armature is amagnet 30 which is secured to the under surface of the top of the casing by one of the screws 12. The magnet is provided with a core 31 adapted to attract the armature 26 when the said magnet is energized. An electric light socket 32 is also secured to the under surface of the top of the casing by means of screws 33, and is adapted to receive an electric light bulb 34. The light will occupy that portion of the interior of the casing: which will be outerand are adapted to receive a transparent plate 37 preferably red in color, and which will cover the openings 35, the said plate having a porti n of its side edges taperlng toward the bottom so that it can be readily inmrted in the guides 36. By virtue of this construction it is only necessary to'slide the plates 37 upwardly a short distance, approximately a quarter of an inch, inorder to withdraw the same.

In the inner side of the casing adjacent the magnet 30 is an opening 38, through which is inserted a perforated plug 39 composed of insulating material, said plug having a collar adapted to engage the outside of the casing adjacent the periphery of the opening 38. The portion of the plug extending into the interior of the casing is exteriorly threaded to receive a fitting 40 interiorly threaded for this purpose. This fitting is also composed of insulating material, and bears against the inner surface of the casing ad acent the opening 38 therein.

till

tact 4:6 is one extremity of a switch arm 47,

its opposite extremity adapted to engage the contacts48 and 49 also located upon said steering mechanism, the contact 48 being connected by a conductor 50 with the oppo site pole51 of the source of electricity'd. 4U

The contact 41 is also connected with one pole of the magnet 30 bya conductor 52, while the contact 42 isconnected with the opposite pole of said magnet'by the conductor'53. The lamp is arranged in the same circuit by means of conductors 54; and 55 which are respectively connected with the conductors 52 and 53.

. From the foregoing description it is believed that the use and operation of my device will be readily understood. When the machine approaches a corner and the driver desires to turn to the left, he merely moves the switch arm 47 from the dotted line to the full line position as shown in Fig, 2, this operation being possible without takin either hand 0d the steering wheel, since sai switch mechanism is mounted upon the rim of the latter. lt is evident that when the switch is in the full line position in Fig. 2 the circuit, will be closed through the lamp and magnet whereby the lamp is lighted and the magnet energized. The core of the magnet will then draw the armature up to the position illustrated in Fig. 2, and thus the arm. 24 will be forced upwardly raising rattling of the parts.

a s rin hatchet ible in the day time while the lamp signal will be noticeable both day and night, and particularly so at night.

Attention is called to the fact that the spring 27 is slightly compressed at all times, that is, even when the armature is in its normal position, and is particularly adapted to secure the armature and its connections against snaking, and thus prevents No auxiliary means is necessary to force the armature downwardly when the magnet is denergized since it will fall of its own accord, and such movement will be facilitated by the rush of air against the forward surface of the signal 16.

Attention is further called to the fact that it is my intention to open and close the circuit a number of times in rapid succession whereby the light will blink and the plate signal flop up and down for the purpose of more efficiently calling attention to the contemplated movement of the vehicle. It will also be apparent that a push button or other suitable mechanism. may be employed instead of the switch disclosed upon the drawing.

Having thus described my invention, what ll claim is,

1 A device of the class descrihed comprising a casing mounted upon the tender of the vehicle, a signal plate pivotally nibunted upon top of said casing and nor-- mally adapted to lie flat, a lamp sig'nal logated within the casing which has openings in its sidesthrough which said lamp is exposed, a magnet also secured within the casing, an armature located below the magnet and having one extremity pivotally connected with the casing, an actuating arm whoselower extremity is pivotal-1y connect-v ed with the opposite extremity of the armature and whose upper extremity projects through and above the said casingand is pivotally connected with the signal plate, surrounding said actuating arm wit in t e casing, its upper extremity bearmg againstthetop of the latter and its lower extremity resting upon an annularly arranged collar formed upon the lower portion of said arm, a normally open circuit in which the lamp signal and magnet are located, said circult also including a source of energy carried by the vehicle, and means mounted upon the steering wheel of the latter for closing the circuit to light the lamp and energize the ma net whereby the arm will be actuated to raise the plate to the signalini position.

2. n automobile signalcomprising a casmounted upon the rear render of the machine, a lam signal located within the casing which as openin I in its sides through which said lamp signal is exposed, a magnet also secured within the casing, an armature located below said magnet and having one extremity pivotally connected with the casing, an arm whose lower extremity is pivotally connected with the opposite extremity of the armature and whose upper extremity projects through and above the casing and is perforated, a pin inserted through said perforation and loosely supported therein, an angle bar mounted upon top of the casing adjacent the upper extremity of said arm,- a pintle loosely supported by the angle bar, a signal plate hav ing li s formed upon its lower edge, certain of said lips adapted to pass under the pintle and upwardly into rigid engagement with the said pin, while the other lips loosel surround-the said pintle, a circuit in whici the light signal and magnet are located, and a source of energy and controlling means mounted upon the machine and also located in said circuit.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN H. ROBERTS. Witnesses:

GRACE HUSTON, A. EBERT OBnmN. 

